Let's Get Ta Killin'!
I would imagine that the big, big fans of the 40k universe had this game on the day it was released, just to get amped up while they wait for the release of Space Marine slated for September. However, I consider myself a mildly big fan of the series and this Kill Team game nearly passed me by without my notice. Often times, I don't know about your luck, this kind of situation leads me to some great experiences. Some of my favorite games are the ones I knew the least about before playing them. In fact, I'd like to say that the more I would have known prior to Kill Team's release, the less likely I would have been to play… or even like it… because it's just that kind of game.
You need to take Kill Team for what it is: simple. Move and shoot. Move and shoot. Entertain yourself while you wait for a download while playing Kill Team, and that's it. This is not the epic game release of Space Marine that arrives in another month, this is the thing in the middle that helps you kill twenty minutes of your day. It satisfies the hungry you felt at the end of Retribution while you wait for the main course to find its way to your plate. In that respect, Kill Team is quite solid.
Kill Team lets you pick a space marine from one of four classes and of several chapters in a pursuit to sabotage and destroy everything on an ork Krooser. The librarian, techmarine, assault marine, and devastator all come with a specialization, a choice between three weapons specific to their class, and universal perks that can be shared between them. While you're massacring orks, you can also pick up power-ups to boost your abilities, damage, or health. Move with one joystick, shoot with the other. Seems simple? Well, it is.
In fact, unless you're blind, deaf, dumb, or all of the above, you can gain all of the special weapons and perks to beef up your marine to his utmost killing capability in one solid play of the game. Get a buddy on your couch and play the game together to gain points even faster and have a good time. Try the survival mode of the game and see if you can last more than three and a half minutes. Rot your brain trying to top the leader boards, and so on. This is what Kill Team has to offer you. It's simple.
Is simple a bad thing? Not if you take it for what it is. Keep in mind, this is an arcade shooter that is essential the spawn of other arcade shooters like Space Invaders where, once upon a time, we plugged quarters into giant machines to rot our brains on the leader boards, sat on the couch with a buddy, and so on. Can we really diminish the value of this game for following its roots?
Well, yes we can… but we can't hate Kill Team for being what it is. In other words, Kill Team is an arcade shooter best enjoyed when a living person is sitting next to you playing along. It will leave you feeling hungry for more, however. The unlockables and achievements are far too easy to obtain early on and there isn't a lot of appeal, including the lack of an online mode of any kind, to keep you coming back for more. Once you've finished the game twice or even a third time, you might even be inclined to forget all about it. Then when looking back after finishing this game, unlockable levels, classes, and a little more variety would have gone a long way.
That's not to say that this game is worth it for fans of the series. 800 points will get you the game, which is good on its own, and an additional power sword that will be usable for the big title, Space Marine, after launch. Fans that are just itching to get the best gear for Space Marine's online multiplayer, will see the value of this game early on. On the other hand, if you're not a fan of the series and you're looking for something deep and full of value, this is not the game for you. Kill Team is best enjoyed by those who area already predisposed to the 40k universe, but it's simplicity and short duration has little value for anyone else out there.